Gotta say Connor Joe should never be batting 4th ever. A hit or a walk in B8th would have added to our 2-run lead or kept the inning going. Make the running catch of line drive that hits his glove knee high would have won game 2. He's a non tender guy. Not because of one game, but his whole season.
Let the tank begin. Bucs are 66-76, in last place, with 20 games to go. They'd have to go 15-5 the rest of the way to get to .500.
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So another high first round pick this year.
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Looking forward, it looks like the starting rotation for next season is solid. Beyond solid, actually. Add to Keller, Skenes and Jones some Bubba, Braxton, Burrows 'n' Harrington and you've got yourself one heck of a law firm.
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The bull (sh*t) pen though... It looks like Bednar and Chapman are tired. I don't know how anyone who can hump it up there in the 97-105 on the black can be washed up, but The Renegade looks like The Reneged. Seems to da Wabbit that Santana, Hodor and Nicolas might be moving into the high leverage roles next season. The pen has been a disaster since the deadline.
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Bucs do NOT have a 1B anywhere on the horizon. Maybe Cutch can learn first. Though Rowdy's been really good since his rough start. Seth Beer has good overall career minor league stats. And who wouldn't like to cheer, "We Want Beer!" at a ballgame?
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In the outfield, it isn't much better. The only guy they've not given a chance is Matt Gorski. Must be tough for a guy tw watch every other outfielder at Indy get a run out but not him. Bring him up and let him swing for a while.
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Infield? Hold the phone. Billy Cook (3B) and Nick York (2b) look real and Termarr is simmering in 2A.
So how does a team get into a situation where they have A MILLION middle infielders? So, OK. What to do with a Gold Glove 3b who has missed a lot of time with back issues? I guess, when he goes down with his long term contract, you call up Cook and see what happens.
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Sure seems to me that bullpen pitching, first base and right field are the gaping holes in this lineup... But wasn't that more or less the picture coming into the year?
Good for Shelton not focusing on one play or one inning but instead on the game as a whole (of course he's always known this, but too often it seems that the focus in the postgame presser is only on not executing a single pitch or a single AB): (From the PG)
"I mean, I think there are other things,” Shelton said when asked about a diving catch effort from Connor Joe that would have secured a Pirates’ win in Game 2 had the play been completed. “Earlier in the game we had situations to score and add on and we didn't. You can't look at a guy making a diving catch -- If he makes it, I agree that it's a situation where the game is over and it's a great catch. But there were other opportunities in the game that we didn't capitalize on."
Shelton wasn't really saying whether Joe should have made the play (I think he should have and I'm sure Joe thinks he should have--it wasn't that difficult), but I liked that Shelton emphasized that there were many opportunities and that had they taken advantage of those opportunities, it wouldn't have come down to Joe's play. Win as a team, lose as a team--that's the culture they need, not fixating on a single play.
I understand what you’re saying, and if Joe was a young player, I’d subscribe to your line of thinking. But since Joe’s a veteran who is trying to prove he’s worth more than a minimum wage player, I’d rather hear DS say something to the effect of, “we need our core veterans to play their best at most important times if we are going to make playoffs next season.”
Rumors of hardship in TJ adjusting to AA pitching were greatly exaggerated. The offensive side was covered above (3-5, 2nd HR), but the defensive side of him starting at SS, 5 or 6 plays, no errors, is a nice accomplishment for a 20 year old. At A+ he played 36 games/300 innings at SS with a .950 fielding percentage, so I guess the Pirates are going to keep him at both 2B and SS at AA.
Michael Kennedy was awesome in his 2nd start at A+, and, as mentioned above, remember that name of Brody Hopkins, the opposing pitcher who went 6 IP, 1H, 1BB, 7 K. The fans were treated to some excellent pitching. And, Hopkins was probably the second best player sent to the Rays for Arozarena by Seattle. Aidan Smith, 20, 6'3" 190, 70 grade speed, OF with Pop makes this trade look like another steal by the Rays.
Also, Shalin Polanco has come to life at Bradenton. He was quietly putting up some good numbers at A, but seems to be blending very well in the lineup with Severino, YDLS, Plaz, Valdez, and Caro. At present he has 19 doubles, 3 triples, 11 HR and 49 RBI. Striking out at about a 3 K/BB rate, and repeating A, but maybe he is turning the corner?
Winning teams make winning plays. Losing teams do not. Last night’s game was just another example of how fine the line is between being a winner or a loser.
One more pitch. One more catch. How many more games would the Pirates have won?
I totally agree, and it's almost always the good teams with good Managers who "get lucky" and make those plays. It's not luck - It's a habit that is contagious like being in the clubhouse early, the pre-pre-game for people who want to be there taking advantage of extra BP or fielding, then the hustle and intensity shown in Pre-Game, how you conduct in the clubhouse prior to the game, and how you are in the dugout and as a team after the game. Can you put in an 8 to 10 hour day for 6 months a year? Leadership!
What’s really painful is the recent spate of articles about how the washed-up veteran presences are imparting wondrous advice to the younger players about how to play the game. The team is playing flat-out bad baseball, maybe more than at any other time in Cherington’s five-year run of failure. If the veteran presences are so valuable, why does the team keep losing winnable games?
What can we find to say about the Pirates? Mitch Keller pitched a very nice game which the BP pissed away. Is it time to send a few guys back to AAA, DFA some others, and call up some guys from AAA? Oh, and fire the Manager - might not be at fault for this latest downfall, but in his 5th year and still running in place (if not backwards) we need a new hand.
There has to be meaningful changes at the conclusion of this season. It wouldn’t even be a question in any organization that’s worth their salt. Unfortunately for us, the head of this organization doesn’t hold people accountable for failing to meet expectations.
Why wait until the end? There's a helluva lot of baseball between now and then and this team cannot afford NOT to take advantage of every minute of the season. Relieve Shelton of his Managerial Duties; replace him on an interim basis with Don Kelly, and install a work ethic that will be carried into the off-season. And start to trade some folks to teams who are closer to making the playoffs than we are.
Apparently Cook has been called up.
Hope he's one of the nobody's that becomes a somebody.
If MAT finally goes bye-bye, Cook will have already justified his airfare.
But they’ll probably send Davis down. I’d call up Yorke and Peguero, release MAT, and send Davis and Alika down.
As long as MAT leaves the glove he's letting Cruz use lol
Gotta say Connor Joe should never be batting 4th ever. A hit or a walk in B8th would have added to our 2-run lead or kept the inning going. Make the running catch of line drive that hits his glove knee high would have won game 2. He's a non tender guy. Not because of one game, but his whole season.
Oy.
Let the tank begin. Bucs are 66-76, in last place, with 20 games to go. They'd have to go 15-5 the rest of the way to get to .500.
*
So another high first round pick this year.
*
Looking forward, it looks like the starting rotation for next season is solid. Beyond solid, actually. Add to Keller, Skenes and Jones some Bubba, Braxton, Burrows 'n' Harrington and you've got yourself one heck of a law firm.
*
The bull (sh*t) pen though... It looks like Bednar and Chapman are tired. I don't know how anyone who can hump it up there in the 97-105 on the black can be washed up, but The Renegade looks like The Reneged. Seems to da Wabbit that Santana, Hodor and Nicolas might be moving into the high leverage roles next season. The pen has been a disaster since the deadline.
*
Bucs do NOT have a 1B anywhere on the horizon. Maybe Cutch can learn first. Though Rowdy's been really good since his rough start. Seth Beer has good overall career minor league stats. And who wouldn't like to cheer, "We Want Beer!" at a ballgame?
*
In the outfield, it isn't much better. The only guy they've not given a chance is Matt Gorski. Must be tough for a guy tw watch every other outfielder at Indy get a run out but not him. Bring him up and let him swing for a while.
*
Infield? Hold the phone. Billy Cook (3B) and Nick York (2b) look real and Termarr is simmering in 2A.
So how does a team get into a situation where they have A MILLION middle infielders? So, OK. What to do with a Gold Glove 3b who has missed a lot of time with back issues? I guess, when he goes down with his long term contract, you call up Cook and see what happens.
*
Sure seems to me that bullpen pitching, first base and right field are the gaping holes in this lineup... But wasn't that more or less the picture coming into the year?
-Wabbit
Cole vs Taillon today... posting just for nostalgic reasons. I'd love it to be a pitchers duel.
Boy that NL wild card race has gotten fun, exciting stuff 👍...
Good for Shelton not focusing on one play or one inning but instead on the game as a whole (of course he's always known this, but too often it seems that the focus in the postgame presser is only on not executing a single pitch or a single AB): (From the PG)
"I mean, I think there are other things,” Shelton said when asked about a diving catch effort from Connor Joe that would have secured a Pirates’ win in Game 2 had the play been completed. “Earlier in the game we had situations to score and add on and we didn't. You can't look at a guy making a diving catch -- If he makes it, I agree that it's a situation where the game is over and it's a great catch. But there were other opportunities in the game that we didn't capitalize on."
Can’t disagree more. That’s a play a halfway decent defensive OF makes in his sleep. Joe was running scared the entire route to the ball.
Shelton wasn't really saying whether Joe should have made the play (I think he should have and I'm sure Joe thinks he should have--it wasn't that difficult), but I liked that Shelton emphasized that there were many opportunities and that had they taken advantage of those opportunities, it wouldn't have come down to Joe's play. Win as a team, lose as a team--that's the culture they need, not fixating on a single play.
I understand what you’re saying, and if Joe was a young player, I’d subscribe to your line of thinking. But since Joe’s a veteran who is trying to prove he’s worth more than a minimum wage player, I’d rather hear DS say something to the effect of, “we need our core veterans to play their best at most important times if we are going to make playoffs next season.”
"Jared Jones will be on the mound Sunday as the Pirates look for the series sweep."
In some parallel universe where we didn't collapse after the trade deadline?
And in that parallel universe, BDLC's 107.8 mph grounder gets through to tie the game instead of being a DP.
Some positives in the minor league yesterday.
Rumors of hardship in TJ adjusting to AA pitching were greatly exaggerated. The offensive side was covered above (3-5, 2nd HR), but the defensive side of him starting at SS, 5 or 6 plays, no errors, is a nice accomplishment for a 20 year old. At A+ he played 36 games/300 innings at SS with a .950 fielding percentage, so I guess the Pirates are going to keep him at both 2B and SS at AA.
Michael Kennedy was awesome in his 2nd start at A+, and, as mentioned above, remember that name of Brody Hopkins, the opposing pitcher who went 6 IP, 1H, 1BB, 7 K. The fans were treated to some excellent pitching. And, Hopkins was probably the second best player sent to the Rays for Arozarena by Seattle. Aidan Smith, 20, 6'3" 190, 70 grade speed, OF with Pop makes this trade look like another steal by the Rays.
Also, Shalin Polanco has come to life at Bradenton. He was quietly putting up some good numbers at A, but seems to be blending very well in the lineup with Severino, YDLS, Plaz, Valdez, and Caro. At present he has 19 doubles, 3 triples, 11 HR and 49 RBI. Striking out at about a 3 K/BB rate, and repeating A, but maybe he is turning the corner?
Winning teams make winning plays. Losing teams do not. Last night’s game was just another example of how fine the line is between being a winner or a loser.
One more pitch. One more catch. How many more games would the Pirates have won?
Painful to think about.
I totally agree, and it's almost always the good teams with good Managers who "get lucky" and make those plays. It's not luck - It's a habit that is contagious like being in the clubhouse early, the pre-pre-game for people who want to be there taking advantage of extra BP or fielding, then the hustle and intensity shown in Pre-Game, how you conduct in the clubhouse prior to the game, and how you are in the dugout and as a team after the game. Can you put in an 8 to 10 hour day for 6 months a year? Leadership!
What’s really painful is the recent spate of articles about how the washed-up veteran presences are imparting wondrous advice to the younger players about how to play the game. The team is playing flat-out bad baseball, maybe more than at any other time in Cherington’s five-year run of failure. If the veteran presences are so valuable, why does the team keep losing winnable games?
What can we find to say about the Pirates? Mitch Keller pitched a very nice game which the BP pissed away. Is it time to send a few guys back to AAA, DFA some others, and call up some guys from AAA? Oh, and fire the Manager - might not be at fault for this latest downfall, but in his 5th year and still running in place (if not backwards) we need a new hand.
There has to be meaningful changes at the conclusion of this season. It wouldn’t even be a question in any organization that’s worth their salt. Unfortunately for us, the head of this organization doesn’t hold people accountable for failing to meet expectations.
Why wait until the end? There's a helluva lot of baseball between now and then and this team cannot afford NOT to take advantage of every minute of the season. Relieve Shelton of his Managerial Duties; replace him on an interim basis with Don Kelly, and install a work ethic that will be carried into the off-season. And start to trade some folks to teams who are closer to making the playoffs than we are.
Donnie Kelly is the wrong guy, even as interim.
I’d rather have Donnie Iris.